


Star-crossed Love

by Alessandra_Lovelli



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band), TWICE (Band)
Genre: Angst and Feels, Angst and Romance, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Inspired by Doctor Who, One Shot, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:16:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28291500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alessandra_Lovelli/pseuds/Alessandra_Lovelli
Summary: Imagine meeting the person you love only for them to not remember who you are. Sana meets a mysterious guy one day who seems to know everything about her, whereas she has no idea who she is. In an attempt to discover the truth, she seeks him to find out how he knows her only for her to slowly fall for him.
Relationships: Minatozaki Sana/Wen Jun Hui | Jun
Kudos: 3





	Star-crossed Love

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by Dr Who's relationship with River Song

Encounter 1

“Sana”

She looked up from her cash machine towards the person who called out to her, only to find that it was a person she hadn’t recognized. “I’m sorry, but do I know you?” She responded awkwardly, not sure how to respond towards him. He paused, his lips forming into a frown as he shook his head. “No, sorry but I was just responding to that”, lifting his finger to point at her name tag. Sana felt embarrassed forgetting that her name tag was part of her uniform. Even though she had been working at a café for some time, she never encountered a customer that addressed her by her name before. Had she known any better, she would’ve assumed that she might’ve met him before. The person looked like someone who was possibly around her age, a college student perhaps based on his attire. By that train of thought alone, she guessed that he may have known her from campus; however, unlikely not even knowing if they were even in the same college, to begin with. “r-right…then may I take your order?”

“What would you recommend that I have today? I think I’m in the mood for something sweet” He asked her. “Well, since as it’s close to winter I would recommend the Chestnut Praline Latte. You can have it hot with that right amount of sweet, not to mention if you feel like being in the holiday spirit.” Sana responded, putting on her best salesman pitch. The man let out a chuckle as he nodded, taking out his wallet. “Then put me down for that, I wouldn’t mind having something of a Christmas miracle myself.” Sana entered his order onto the POS machine while taking his money, she didn’t know what he had meant but from the sound of it, he must be going through a rough patch. She pulled out a cup with a pen in her hand. “Can I have your name please?”

“It’s Jun” He replied with a smile that seemed less happy, which was also reflected in his eyes too. Again. She noticed that same sorrowful expression and that hurt her not understanding why.

Once the man named Jun left with his cup of coffee outside of the shop, she couldn’t stop wondering why that encounter in itself felt weird to her. “So, what happened? You shoot that guy down? You know you really shouldn’t at this point.” She turned her head to see her friend Jihyo let out a laugh as she returned behind the counter with a tray of empty cups and plates. They were both part-time workers at the coffee shop that was close by their college campus. “What do you mean? He didn’t ask me out”

“Really? From the looks of it, he looked like a kicked puppy. So much so that I felt bad for him.” Jihyo said with wonder as she kept her tray down in the sink. “You think so too? He sounded like he knew me from somewhere, though I’m sure I haven’t seen him before….at least I don’t think I have” Sana folded her arms while in thought. “Well, in that case, you should ask him out. He seemed cute and it’s about time you found someone. You’re so single that I’m starting to wonder if you’ll end up being one of those crazy cat ladies I keep seeing on TV.” She rolled her eyes at the thought of it, “wow first of all rude. You know I prefer dogs to cats”. “But you don’t deny he’s cute.” Jihyo teased while she remained silent, holding back from embarrassment. Well, she did find him a little cute.

Encounter 2

The next time she remembered seeing him, she had run into him at the local library not too far from her house. The temperature in her area had gotten a lot cooler since then and everyone around her was bundled up, retaining any kind of body heat they had to survive the cold. The heating inside the building was broken, leaving the place to be a lot colder than it normally would be. Sana was searching for books she could use for her current course. In this day and age, the use of online resources was more convenient and libraries became more obsolete unless it was to study for exams or to work in silence. However, the extra materials she was looking for were nowhere to be found online, thus leading her to the one place she never expected to go to. 

She browsed through the shelves for any book titles that caught her eye, occasionally skimming through the pages in the hopes of finding something with relevance. She let out a sigh at the numerous books she had to go through yet no immediate luck thus far. It took her 20 minutes but she managed to find what she was looking for, as she carried a few books in her hands towards the librarian to have it checked out.

As she walked down the hallway passed the other sections, she noticed a familiar face sitting on the ground with his face peeked right into the book. It was the same guy she met in the café. She didn’t expect to run into him here, though if he also attended the college as herself, she supposed it was normal. She noticed the title of the book was about stars. A book she never really expected a college student to have. As far as she knew the college never had any courses in astronomy, perhaps it was just personal curiosity.

Jun getting ready to turn the page of his book noticed someone standing at the corner of his eye, causing him to look up directly at them. Sana panicked realizing that she had been caught staring for too long. In her mind, she might as well accepted that he may have thought of her as a creepy stalker whom he met for the second time now. She grimaced at the thought of it, but to her surprise, he had given her a sweet smile instead. “well fancy meeting you here stranger”. She greeted him with a slight nod as she laughed “hi…sorry I didn’t mean to stare. I was just um, passing by when I noticed your book.” A partial lie but she didn’t need to openly reveal that she recognized him from the one time she met him and may have kept him in mind after their less than normal encounter.

He let out a small laugh as he closed the book to stare at the front cover “interesting book, isn’t it? I never really thought about the stars all that much until someone recommended it to me. They said that I would learn a lot of interesting things, and they were right. It’s fascinating how many constellations they are out there. I’m hoping that one day I’ll be able to recognize them for myself if I can.”

She wasn’t expecting such an innocent answer to it and felt herself smiling at the idea of him just staring out at the night sky getting excited over identifying constellations. She jokingly responded “that almost sounds like you’re hoping to impress your friend too by studying this hard. But you do know you can take the book home with you instead of sitting on the floor like this.”

“You’re right I could, but it’s fine if I don’t take it with me. I’m not sure when I’d be able to return it either.” He said as he skimmed through the pages once again gazing at all the pictures inside as if remembering a fond memory. “As for impressing…”, he added “well I suppose you could say that I would like to. It might make me seem cooler in their eyes.” He got up from the ground, dusting himself off as he looked back at her, gazing at the number of books in her hands. “What about you? Seems like quite a few books you have over there.”

“Is it? I have an assignment due and I thought these might help a little…” she said with an awkward laugh, perhaps it was a bit strange in this day and age to borrow a lot of books. Sana felt a little strange that she was able to talk to him more casually this time compared to the last time. She wanted to bring up their awkward exchange but wasn’t sure how to bring it into the conversation.

“I see, well I won’t disturb you any longer since I’m sure you’ve got a lot of work to do. Though it seems like it’s getting colder so be sure to bundle up, alright?” He said as he slid the book back onto the shelf, getting ready to leave. “I’ll see you around then Sana. Good luck with your assignment.”

Before he could leave, she reached out towards his arm, holding onto the fabric of his coat stopping him in place. “This may seem a bit strange but…would it be okay to talk for a bit? I have something I’d like to ask you.”

Jun stood there thinking, as he nodded after a few seconds and suggested that they go outside near the benches. After Sana checked out the books she wanted, they headed near the park close by the library. He had got her a caramel macchiato and grabbed a vanilla latte for himself, as he handed it to her before sitting down. She was surprised by his choice of coffee “this is my favourite…how did you…” He gave her a grin as he sipped his coffee “lucky guess, or perhaps I just knew.”

“see this is what I wanted to talk to you about…you know me, don’t you? I can’t explain it but it feels like we know each other. You did back in the café as well.”

“In the café?” He asked seeming confused, to which she nodded. “yeah. You came in one day and called out to me. We didn’t speak much though you did ask me to recommend you some coffee.”

“Did I?”

“you don’t remember? Then again it was days so I guess I wouldn’t expect you to remember it since we only interacted for maybe a minute and that’s about it. You just looked really sad, though I guess that was my fault because I didn’t remember you.” She replied with an awkward laugh, sipping onto her coffee.

“But do you know who I am?” He said with a smile as he waited for her to respond. Waiting for a few seconds, seeing her silence he took it as a no as he let out a chuckle. “I promise not to get upset if you tell me you don’t remember.” Putting her hands around the paper cup, she shook her head. “I’m sorry I really don’t. I’m sure we might’ve come across each other in campus or perhaps even met at a party at some point. I’m really sorry.”

“hmm…I wonder” he laughed as he replied with only that, drinking the remainder of his coffee. “You can at least give me something more than just that” She frowned as she puffed her cheeks. “Alright, alright don’t get mad. I can say that you do know me, just not as yet.”

“Now you’re either pulling my leg or that was the worst pickup line I’ve ever heard. Either way, I’ll leave if you’re not going to be serious with me.” Sana rolled her eyes as she grabbed her books getting ready to get up as he panicked pulling her hand back. “I’m serious! Look just…it’s hard to explain but we do know each other.”

She sighed, sitting back down on her seat as she turned to face him directly “alright…then talk. How did we first meet?’

Jun folded his arms as if trying to recollect memories as he spoke “We met in a flower shop. You were looking for flowers that you needed to buy, probably for a friend and asked me to recommend some flowers. You then so boldly introduced yourself, telling me that I’d fall in love with you the more we spoke. We then met on a couple of dates getting to know each other. Those days were really the best, you took me ice skating and dealt with me even though I was inexperienced. The last time we met, you asked me to meet you somewhere. That night was just perfect, though I suppose part of you knew it was going to happen, though I have no idea how. Next thing I know, here we are.”

Sana caught her breathe not sure what to believe. For all she knew he could’ve just constructed a whole story just to mess with her head. Yet some part of her wasn’t sure what to believe. She knew for a fact that she knew none of those memories. There was no way she could’ve lost any memories unless she had gotten into an accident which was not possible since she would’ve known that. She didn’t even have a car to get into an accident nor had she travelled anywhere in the past 6 months. Yet somehow, this stranger sounded truthful which left her with more questions than answers. “I don’t understand…how can I not remember anything like that? I would know if I dated someone, I would.”

Before he could respond, an alarm started ringing surprising both of them. Jun quickly pulled out a clunky looking piece from his pocket. Upon further inspection, it looked like a watch to her though looked very old fashion. She noticed the sadness in his eyes as he got up from the bench

“Hey!”

“If you want to meet again, meet me near the ice cream store. It would be a Saturday evening. I promise to explain more the next time.” He said in a hurry as took off, running into the alleyways.

“What was that all about…?” Sana said to herself confused by what just happened. If she wanted to know more then she’d have to just meet him as he asked and get more information out of him. 

Encounter 3

She hadn’t decided whether if it was worth the effort or not to see him. For all she knew, after all, he was lying to her and there was zero proof to support anything he had mentioned. She checked her diary dating all the way back to the previous year. All days accounted for, no mention of an accident and no records of her even meeting anyone called Jun. According to what she had, there was no reason to trust him. Yet somehow, she stood in front of the ice cream store as he had asked. He never mentioned a time to meet up so why was she standing there at 5 pm after her work shift? Even she didn’t know, after a few minutes of waiting she sighed thinking it was a waste of time. As she was getting ready to leave, she saw him surrounded by a crowd. It was after work ended for most places so the rush hour of people tended to be pretty bad at this time, as many either were getting ready to go home, go out for entertainment with their family, or just go out for drinks. She could see him struggling to exit the crowd, almost like he was drowning in an ocean which seemed hilarious considering his height.

Sana rushed into the crowd, trying to reach for his hand as she managed to somehow pull him out. Jun panted as put of his hands were on his knees as he took a deep breath “thank you for that…and here I thought I would never be able to escape that in ti- oh Sana!” He said surprised realizing who his saviour was, as he gave her a big hug. “you saved me back there!” Sana feeling flustered by the sudden contact. She knew it was just the third time they met but she didn’t think he would get so handsy this fast. She normally was that person to initiate hugs but even for her, this was fast. Not wanting to be rude, she gave him a pat on the back “no worries, but what happened?”

“I was thinking of picking you up from work so we can do something together but I ended up getting caught in that. It’s scary how pushy people can be. I almost thought I never would be able to escape from there.” He let out a big sigh but gave him a big smile. Honestly, she thought to herself, for someone who was possibly close in age, he seemed fairly helpless on his own. She wondered how he was able to make it on his own this far, but that being said she did find this aspect of him cute in its own way.

“Picking me up? I thought we agreed to meet here. Isn’t that what you told me last time?” She asked him, but he looked at her in confusion. “Did I? I must’ve forgotten about it then. Sorry” he replied nonchalantly while scratching his head.

Not understanding how someone could forget that she shook her negative thoughts away as she pulled him into the ice cream store. “Since we’re here, we might as well get some ice cream. Come on.”

They looked at the various variety of ice cream in front of them, Sana picked banana flavoured ice cream for herself. Sitting on one of the tables inside of the shop they got to enjoy their ice cream. “You really do like coffee, don’t you?” She remarked eyeing his coffee-flavoured ice cream, to which he responded with an enthusiastic nod. “I am a bit of a coffee lover after all. Is it weird?” She shook her head “no, not at all. If I had the choice, I probably would like to go for anything that’s caramel but I probably shouldn’t with how sweet it is.” She said with a chuckle.

She coughed, trying to shift the conversation into what she wanted “I wanted to know more about you if that’s alright to ask.”

“Me? What’s the sudden interest in me now? Considering introducing me to your family and friends?” he said teasingly, to which she felt her cheeks turning red as she ate more ice cream to cool herself down “it’s not like that. There’s no harm in learning about you is there? Especially considering all that you know about me.” He chuckled seeing her reaction “now now don’t be upset. I’m just kidding but that is fair. Well, what do you want to know about me?”

She had a few questions in mind which she had for the past few days “well, for starters, how old are you?”

“The same age as you why? Don’t tell me you thought I was younger” he gasped

“you certainly act like it sometimes” she teased back and he gasped more, as he clenched his chest dramatically “you’re mean”

“You started it!”

“I know I did but I can be mature too,” he said, though the more dramatically he acted the more childish he seemed. Despite the back and forth arguments, she found herself enjoying his company more.

She asked him more questions about himself and she learned that he was someone who enjoyed travelling a lot and even knew multiple languages at that which she found to be very impressive. They even found out about their common dislike in eggplants which she didn’t think she’d find another person to share that same issue. Before Sana knew it, she found herself enjoying his company and found him to be someone she could hold a conversation with. Even though they started on an awkward note, getting to know him more, she really did like him more.

“I do have a question for you if you could travel to any particular time, which would it be?” He had asked out of the blue.

“That isn’t something I really thought about, but I wouldn’t mind travelling into the past. Maybe 50 years back?”

“That’s different. Did anything special happen during that time? I thought you’d choose something more impactful in history”

Sana shrugged her shoulders “I suppose but my parents used to tell me just how peaceful home used to be at that time. There wouldn’t be any chaos and people could just do what they wanted without feeling scared. As amazing as I’m sure it would be to travel far back, there’s always some war happening which makes it more dangerous.”

Jun nodded understanding her train of thought “I suppose when you put it that way, it would make sense. What about the future?”

“The future would be interesting but it would also be scary too wouldn’t it? It’s more unknown so it would be more of a risk not knowing what you’re putting yourself into.”

Jun laughed “you know, I brought it up as a random topic but suddenly this turned into something deeper.” She laughed along with him “sorry I got carried away, but the idea of travelling to different times does sound cool. We always hear about that on tv though it would be cool if it was a thing.” He smiled and replied, “don’t be, I like hearing your thoughts anyways.”

She wanted to talk to him more but again she heard that same alarm ringtone once again from the same weird watch she saw him have last time. “Is it time for you to go already?” She said with a frown. “Sorry yeah I have to go, but we can always hang out another time alright?” he replied, giving her a peck on her cheek. Sana widened her eyes at the sudden affection. She knew they were bonding but she didn’t think he would move that quickly. “h-hey!”

“Are you feeling shy already? Maybe it’s because we’re in public”

She blushed more at how casual he was being. She wasn’t sure if him being from a different culture made a difference but she didn’t know how to handle it “you know it’s got nothing to do with that”

“you’re adorable, but I’m off now. I’ll see you soon!” He waved running off again hidden from her sight.

She sighed as she sat in her seat, ice cream in a cup already melted. He didn’t even give a time and a place. Just when exactly would be the next time? Looks like she’ll have to leave it to chance once again unless he’d come to the café once more

Encounter 4

The next time when she had met with him was when he came to the café to visit “oh hey Jun! here for some coffee?” She said with a smile as she handed the customer in front of him their order. He shook his head “As much as I’d like to, not this time. I actually wanted to know if you were free yet. I wanted to take you somewhere.”

“Well my shift’s will be done in a few minutes if you don’t mind waiting for me, but where to?” She asked, as she simultaneously finished the remainder of her tasks which included cleaning and sorting out the cash machine. “It would spoil the surprise but I’m sure you’ll know soon enough once we get there. I discovered it earlier and thought you might like it.”

“I do like the sound of surprises though so you can count me in. Just give me a minute, I’m almost done.” She said as she continued working in silence till she was done. Jun, on the other hand, waited for her, with his back against the counter looking at the outside scenery. It was a weekday around the afternoon time so there weren’t many people walking around which made it seem all the more pleasant.

Once Sana was done, she grabbed her things from her locker and followed him. Since the place was quite far, they ended up taking a taxi to get there. She had no idea where he was taking her but it was quite far out from the city that she normally wouldn’t have been able to get to by foot. From a distance she could be a single large building getting closer as they kept driving and ultimately, the taxi stopped at that same location. “A planetarium?” She expressed her confusion openly, as she followed Jun out of the cab. “Why here?”

“Well you brought up the topic about the stars last time so I figured we’d come and see some. I wanted to take you to an open field but it’s still too bright outside to see any stars, so this was the next best thing I could think of.” He explained as he purchased some tickets from the counter, handing one of them to her to keep.

She did vaguely remember their conversation over the stars in the library he was reading but she didn’t think he would think to take her here. Not that she minded since she heard lots of positive things about the planetarium.

Entering the room, the ceiling was completely dark and the room was filled with nothing but empty seats, except for a few which consisted of mainly mothers with their young children. As they sat down, it didn’t take long for the show to begin. A bright light spread through the ceiling as it projected many stars, as well a narrator that spoke a little on every star they came across. Sana was thrilled at how pretty the sight was, and the ambience of the room itself added to it. “it’s really so gorgeous…” she exclaimed as she couldn’t stop herself from being in awe. “Isn’t it? I don’t think I would’ve been able to identify them myself if it wasn’t for the narrator”, to which she let out a laugh “perhaps you should do a little bit more reading then. I’m sure the library would have plenty more books for you to read.” He hummed in response as he took in the stars “I should. Maybe then I could impress you the next time we do this.” “Impress me huh? Well, I wouldn’t mind it if we did this again.” She knew in her mind that it really sounded like they were going on dates and that her agreeing to a next time solidified that idea, but she didn’t seem to mind the idea of it. She couldn’t pinpoint what exactly it was but she did like him.

Encounter 5

The next time she met him was when she was walking through the city on her off day. It was the first time in a while that she had a bit of freedom in a while after being caught up in multiple assignments, at least now she could breathe without feeling guilty. The weather had gotten a lot colder, and she even ended up having to wear her gloves before her fingers could freeze.

Sana saw him standing against one of the clothing stores waiting awkwardly as he tried to avert the gazes of the people passing him by. She wanted to let out a laugh at how obvious of an introvert he was being, and she walked up to him to save him the embarrassment of being stared at. “Well hello there stranger,” She said as she waved out to him while giving him a wide smile. “Hm? Oh, it’s you” He said less enthusiastic compared to the other times she’d seen him. Perhaps he wasn’t having the best of days today, which to say can happen to anyone. Even she sometimes had days like those. Nonetheless, she greeted him more enthusiastically hoping that she could make him smile. “Yes, it is! So, what have you been up to? Find anything interesting about the stars?” He frowned, putting his hands in his pockets, “the stars? It’s not something I’d normally check. Why ask?”

“huh?” she stared at him confused by his response. Wasn’t that something he had told her that the last time they went out together? “You seemed interested in them so I thought you would read more about them the next time we met…”

“Hmm…stars huh? Is that your way of asking me to take you to see some stars? I never would’ve imagined you to be such a romantic” He said letting a small smile form on his lips, but it still felt like there was some distance between them. It felt wrong after all they’ve been through, that part of her mind couldn’t comprehend what was happening. Just like stained glass, it’s never easy to notice the small cracks forming until it’s too late and all that’s left is an irreparable mess. As such could be said about relationships too, forever looking through rose coloured lenses until it comes to an abrupt halt. Something she wished she noticed before she even had the chance to fall for someone.

Even then, it was a little too late to go back on everything they’ve had and she didn’t want to give up so easily. If there was one thing she was good at, it was to never give up. For all she knew, he could’ve been going through something and it was her turn to do something nice for him. She looked around the area for something they could do and noticed people lining up near the park. That’s it, she thought as she held his hand. “Are you free right now?” He blinked as he nodded slowly “I suppose so, why?”

She grinned as she pulled him by the hand towards the park. “Great! Follow me!” “Where are we going?” He said more surprised as he was being dragged by a girl who was much shorter than himself yet seemed a lot stronger than he was anticipating. She ended up taking them to an ice-skating rink that was recently added as a winter attraction and luckily, they would be able to join in with the number of people in line. She remembered that it was something they did according to Jun in the past. Even if she had no recollection, she figured that it may at least stir some good memories and cheer him up. Surely it was a plan that would work, is what she hyped her mind with.

Paying for the tickets, she handed him a pair of skates that were close to his shoe size, though of course, she was wrong since judging by eyes alone wasn’t always accurate. He ended up choosing the right size for himself. He seemed confused by it but compiled in her plan. “I hope you’re an alright skater.” He shrugged as he put on his skates “I’m not really good at things like this so you might be disappointed probably”. “That’s alright! I’m not exactly a great skater either so the bar’s set pretty low for me, so don’t worry about it! We’re here to have a good time anyways” She grinned as she patted his back trying to be as encouraging as possible.

They entered the ice rink together and almost immediately Jun caught onto the railing, slowing moving alongside it. Sana let out a laugh though she was wobbling the entire time as she tried her best to move towards him without falling over. “Come on, give me your hand. We probably won’t both fall if we do it this way.” “I hope you’re right about this. I’m not excited over the idea of hitting the ice. It sounds painful” He said as he nervously held out his hand into hers. She gently pulled his hand until he felt steady enough to move closer to her.

“there you go! Not too scary, now is it?” She said with a grin as she carefully pulled him along the rink to help them both get used to the feeling of moving in skates. “Well I suppose it’s not that bad,” he said a bit embarrassed. He was staring intently trying to be careful but she could also see that he was enjoying himself.

After a few minutes of careful movement, they slowly were able to move a lot quicker along the ice. Sana found it easier since she had the experience of ice skating with her friends when she was younger so it didn’t take her too long to remember how to do it with ease. She was by no means an expert but just barely able to competent skater, minus any cool tricks you see on TV. Jun, on the other hand, almost looked like a newborn deer trying to figure out how to walk though he had gotten more comfortable. Up until he slipped when he didn’t place his foot properly and almost tripped. His free hand grabbing onto Sana’s other hand to stop him from falling. “Are you okay?” She asked him concerned as he looked even more tensed, looking down at the ice. “Yeah…that was a close one though”, he looked up not realizing that he was holding on to both of her hands which made him more embarrassed. “I’m sorry,” he said releasing one of her hands, to which she reached out for his hand again. “It’s fine. Maybe we can try this and see how it goes?” “Hm okay if you’re really sure…” he replied with his ears turning red. It was rare to see him getting embarrassed like this, though she figured it might have been because he couldn’t show off like he seemed to like doing.

Sana wanted the chance to show off to for a change but it didn’t last long until she tripped and ended up with her forehead hitting into Jun’s shoulder. “And here I thought you were going to be cool one but you’re just as clumsy as I am,” he said with a teasing grin. She felt like she was going to pout as she responded back “now you’re just being rude”. She wanted to be upset but with how ironic the situation was, she ended up laughing and he ended up laughing along with her.

By the end of it, their time to be on the ice was done and they had to return their skates back. They still didn’t end up being any better as they continued having almost accidents since skating on the ice was no easy task. “So, what did you think? Did you have fun?” He nodded as he gave her a smile “it wasn’t easy but I did find it pretty exciting.” She smiled feeling more relieved that he was turning into his usual self again. “If you liked it then perhaps we can do this again one day.” Jun widened his eyes feeling a bit confused “again? You mean you’re alright with hanging out with me?” Sana cocked her head to the side, feeling that his emotions seemed to change compared to the other times they’ve met, where he seemed a lot more confident. “Well if not ice skating, then I’m sure there are other things we can do that you like. I do enjoy your company a lot so…” she said blushing but covering it up with a cough “but yeah, we should meet more if that’s fine with you.” He nodded giving her a small smile “sure, I’d love that.”

She looked at her watching seeing that it was getting dark already as she had to wake up for her class tomorrow. “I hate to leave but I got to get up early for class tomorrow, but I’ll see you around. I mostly tend to be working so you can find me at the café.” She said as she stood on her toes giving him a peck on the cheek “see you next time then Jun”

It was then that she noticed it, that feeling she had at the back of her mind was proving right. she noticed that Jun’s face became a lot redder after she had kissed him on the cheek. She knew normally it would be bold but seeing as he had made the first move that she didn’t think it would be that weird. She couldn’t explain what it was but she knew that everything about this was becoming stranger by the second. She heard the same ringtone from the same device she noticed him carrying earlier. “S-sorry but I’ll be taking my leave now. See you again soon” he said trying to remain calm though his face giving it away clear as day.

“wait…” she stopped him by pulling onto his jacket. He seemed hesitant to stay as if he had to go “but I have to go. We can talk more next time.” She knew that but she also felt like she had to say something. “I want to see you again. Maybe the next time we’re both free, even if it’s nothing, I’d still like to see you again.” She said knowing that it sounded desperate but she had to get it off her chest. He nodded not sure by what she meant but as he was in a hurry to run, he agreed and ran off leaving her there by herself in the street.

Encounter 6

The more Sana at on it, the less sense things started to make over these last few weeks. Ever since the last time she met him, or perhaps just things from the very beginning she felt that things were weird. She knew that people can be strange with the way they act but this was one relationship she didn’t think to follow the natural path most relationships do. Even if a relationship turns out to be good or not, they would still have a steady progression till it reaches that point. In the case with her relationship with Jun, she didn’t think it followed that same path. If anything, it went against what she considered normal. He had told her they had dated in a past that she doesn’t seem to remember, though she had considered the possibility of him being a convincing liar. She gave him a chance after meeting with him but it seemed like every time she met him, that he kept being more distant with her, almost like they were back to being strangers again. “Did I do something wrong?” she wondered aloud, as she lied back on her bed. The more she reflected on it, that line of thinking didn’t make sense either which left her sighing even more. “He seems to be pretty forgetful too over things we’ve finished, almost like it slipped his mind though he was always the one to mention them first.” She continued monologuing, hoping that the answer would spark in her mind.

“What’s more…is that device of his that seems to go out at the end, and like always he runs as soon as it starts ringing.” She sat up on the bed, folding her legs as she tried thinking more about that device. She recalled that it was this big piece of metal that looked out of place from anything she had ever seen. It was also a watch based on the face of it that she managed to get a glimpse of, which made more sense that the ringing sound from it might’ve been some kind of alarm.

Curious about the strange watch, she decided to look online to see what kind of watch it might’ve been though she wasn’t sure if it had any relevance since it was just a watch after all. After minutes of hunting, she didn’t find anything remotely similar though she did find a lot of weird-looking watches online. “I don’t even know what I’m doing anymore. This is a waste of time…” she sighed once more, closing her phone and just tossing it on the bed.

After a few minutes, she heard her doorbell ringing. She wasn’t expecting any guests today so she wondered who it could’ve been. Walking up to the door, she peeked through the hole and was surprised to see him standing outside. She quickly opened the door as she looked at him in shock “Jun? what…how did you know where I live?” He grinned and instead of answering, he gave her a tight hug to which she reciprocated. “I missed you so much” “I missed you too but seriously how…?”

“Oh right about that, I asked your co-worker and she was happy enough to give me your address once I told her we were dating” As much as she was happy to see him, the idea of that sounded like a safety hazard and she knew she had to talk to Jihyo about this the next time they met. “So, we’re dating now, are we?” She said teasingly though, in her mind, she felt they might as well have long back.

“Are we not?” He said pouting. “Well you never asked so…” After some thought he nodded admittingly “I forgot about that…how did I forget to ask? We’ve even kissed each other too”. Sana let out a laugh as shrugged “seems like it somehow managed to slip both of our minds, though you were the one who kissed me first.”

Jun hummed, pulling back from the hug as he thought to himself silently. She felt the mood change once seeing the same set of sad eyes she had seen once before “what’s wrong?”. “About that…do you mind if we talk? There’s something I need to say.”

She nodded though she felt a little on edge on what he had to say “Sure of course, why don’t you come in? I’ll make some hot cocoa.” Jun shook his head, “I have a different place in mind if you don’t mind. It’s cold so you would need to dress warmly.” “Oh sure…let me just grab everything”, she said as she went to her cupboard, pulling out her jacket, gloves and a scarf. She put them on, and quickly checked her hair in the mirror to make sure she didn’t look like a mess.

Soon enough, they both left her apartment and before Sana knew it, they arrived at the hill of a park. It was high enough that you could get a good view of the city, and it was decorated nicely since Christmas was around the clock. Sana let out a gasp at the view at how pretty everything was. Despite being in the city for as long as she had, it was the first time she had come here at night, and since the city was lit up and decorated, it made the view all the more spectacular. “This is beautiful!” Jun chuckled and nodded in agreement “Isn’t it? I heard about it from a few people so I thought it would be nice to take you here.”

“I’m honoured you thought of me” She responded with a laugh but then coughed remembering their reason to come here. “So um…what’s going on?” Jun felt his smile falter as he looked down momentarily before speaking “Would you believe me if I said that I wasn’t the one who kissed first?” “I’m not sure I’m following…” she replied not sure what he had meant by it.

“You had said it earlier right, that I kissed you first correct?” She nodded, allowing him to continue “but from what I remember, you kissed me first when we went ice skating.” Sana paused before arguing “what are you talking about? That was just a few weeks back…you initiated it when we did had ice cream that one time!”

“That’s exactly it, for me our ice cream date was the more recent memory of us and the ice skating one was more distant”

“Jun…what are you?”

“You must have noticed it, haven’t you? That every time we meet, that something felt off right?” She nodded “I did…you seemed to know things about me that I never would’ve mentioned, but you were the one who told me that we dated at some point!”

“I must’ve but I don’t remember saying that, at least not yet”

Sana blinked trying to understand it but she stared at him, trying to make sense of things in her head of every moment they’ve spent together. “…I am so so lost right now. My head hurts just trying to understand what you’re talking about.”

Jun let out a sigh as he reached into his jacket pocket “I think it would make more sense if I showed this to you instead”. Out of his pocket came the same clunky looking watch she had seen a few times before. “That watch...I remember seeing it a few times, but why does it look more damaged?” She said, observing the cracks around it, as well as scratches on the glass itself.

“This might sound weird, but would you believe me if I said I was a time traveller and this is what I use to travel through time?”

Sana froze, her mouth hanging as that was something she wasn’t expecting to hear from him “Er…”

“I figured…it’s nothing normal during this time anyways but I’m being honest.”

“Is this like Dr Who? Except there is no TARDIS and it’s just a watch?” She said aloud trying to make some connection to what she knew about Sci-Fi works. She wasn’t heavily into time travel but had seen a bit of the show to know what it was about.

“I’m not sure what that is but I have heard of the various theories media has explained about time travel…so I’ll say yes.” He scratched his head not sure how to explain it. “Well basically, a long time ago I was given this watch to travel through time to do what I wanted, but at some point of time, my watch ended up getting damaged and as a result of it I ended up moving backwards in time unknowingly.”

“Meaning?”

“Basically, my past is your future, and your future is my past. Every interaction we have is our first.”

Sana had a moment to think about what he was saying. She’ll admit that the idea of time travel, in reality, was something she couldn’t easily wrap her head around, but given everything that happened she had to accept that he was telling the truth. “If that’s the case, then how are we meeting now?”

“I did a few things to get it to work, though I’m afraid this might be the only time I may be able to see you at the point of time we both have our memories” Jun replied, gazing at the watch before slipping it back into his pocket. “Is there no one who will be able to fix it?” She frowned gazing at the watch before it disappeared. “Unfortunately not, it belongs to a friend of mine who made it and right now I’m not sure where he is. Right now, I’m just hoping to meet him at some point in time, or if I meet any other engineer who may be able to fix it. Till then…” “You’ll keep moving backwards…” She continued his sentence. “I want to stay for as long as I can…but the watch is damaged to the point that it shifts me on its own, I just never realised I was moving backwards.”

“So…what does that mean for us? If you keep jumping backwards then…”

“Yes…I won’t know who you are”

“Is that why you chose this time? You could’ve chosen any point of time…which means, this is the last time, isn’t it?” She asked him partially in disbelief and the rest with pain. She wasn’t for him to respond, but took his silence as confirmation. She turned away as she covered her mouth as she forced herself not to cry. “I’m sorry…” she heard him respond sorrowfully “I’m really sorry…”

“How much time do we have left?” She said softly and looked to meet his eyes. “An hour at most. You’re not mad?” She shook her head as she walked up and hugged him once more “I’m too far down this rabbit hole to be. An hour is more than enough.” She could hear him swallow, as he hugged her back with trembling arms. “I love you, and that will always be the truth.” Jun held back from shedding a tear himself at the relief of her words “I love you too.”

The continued the rest of the night together, watching the stars as they lied down on the grass as they spoke about anything and everything as if nothing had happened. She opened up to him about her dreams for the future and he told her more about his past and all the adventures he had been to until it was time.

“it’s almost time…” Sana said as she pulled away from his arms one last time. “I don’t want to go.” He replied with a frown. “Jun…same here. I’m not ready either but we have to…” She said looking down, but did her best to remain as strong as she could. “Do you regret it?”

“Hm?”

“Meeting me I mean. I’m the reason you’re hurting”

She smiled at him and shook her head “Never. If I had the chance to do it all over again I would.”

“I’m glad”, he said with a smile. She could hear the very same alarm on his watch ring again, letting them know that he was about to shift.

“Answer me this though. The first time you met me, how amazed were you by my entrance?” He let out a laugh at her question “Very. I never thought someone could be so bold, and it made me love you even more.” She smiled widely at his response “I’m glad to hear that. It gives me the confidence to make a great first impression.”

“Once I find him, I’ll be back to find you. I promise!” Jun said determined which made her smile even more “I’ll be waiting for you then.”

And just like that, she saw a bright light surround him until he faded away, leaving her by herself upon the hill. Seeing him disappear made her choke as more tears fell as she covered her mouth once more to stop herself from crying as hard as she was with the beginning of snow falling from the sky.

Encounter 7

It had been a few months since Sana had last seen him which meant that he wasn’t successful in his journey as of yet. In her case, she was almost done with university as she was getting close to graduating, getting closer to achieving her dreams. She had promised herself that she would remain happy for his and her own sake, that she would work harder until the next time she would meet him.

Around March, it was a special day for one of her coworkers at the café as it was to celebrate them getting engaged. Sana volunteered to buy flowers as she had the day off so she headed towards shops close to her house. She knew of course what this meant, that it would be the day that he would meet her for the first time.

She of course never knew which flower shop it was as he never specified which one it was either. This meant that she would’ve had to guess which one it was by random pick. They were various flower shops within the area though if it was based on his memory, then she would choose the shop that called out to her. Leaving it to chance seemed all the more interesting after all.

She entered one of the shops that had a pretty exterior as it showcased all the bright flowers that made it feel like spring was already here despite the cold breeze remaining throughout the city. As she entered the shop, it wasn’t too full as they were a few people in it. There was one particular person that stood out of place that was just staring at the flowers, with a familiar jacket she recognised. She felt her mouth grow dry as she knew that if she didn’t control herself, that she would run and hug him once more. She readied her heart as she walked towards him as she called out to him. “Excuse me, but I’m looking for flowers. Do you think you can help me?”

He turned around to look at her, and she could see his face more clearly as it was the same face that she loved so dearly. “Sorry but I don’t work here.” He replied awkwardly as he touched the back of his neck.

The cold reality hit her even though she knew it was going to happen, that he really didn’t know who she was. “Oh, I’m sorry about that, my bad” She let out a laugh though it may have sounded forced, she wasn’t sure. “The staff seems busy, and I just need an opinion on buying the right flowers, if that’s alright. I’m Sana by the way.” She said as she held her hand out, to which he shook her hand and responded “Oh sure I suppose…and I’m Jun”

“Well there Jun, I’m looking for flowers that are suitable for celebrations during this time. Any ideas” She said with a smile

“I’m no expert but you could try irises? If it’s for a friend I’m sure yellow or white might be nice to give them” She didn’t expect that he would help her and that his recommendation seemed like it would work, which made her happier. “Thank you for the help, that sounds like it would make my friend very happy.”

“Hm”

“Actually, this might seem a little forward of me but I do hope we get to see more of each other in the future.” She said with a grin as she inspected the other flowers alongside him.

“That almost sounds like you’re trying to flirt with me” She glanced to see him crack a smile

“Does it? Though I bet if you got to know me, you might learn to love me.”

Jun blushed more as he coughed into his hand, trying to clear the awkwardness “now that definitely sounds like you’re flirting with me”

Sana let out a laugh at how cute she found him. Who knew that he could get so embarrassed this easily, though it didn’t help the small aches that she hid deep inside her “Who’s to say?”

_Fin_


End file.
